Hand tool



March 26, 1935. c. M. KIMBALL HAND TOOL Filed June 2, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3mm CZzzezzce 5 0 mm,

March 26, 1935. M, K BALL 1,995,887

HAND TOOL Filed June 2, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 26, 1935.

c. M. KIMBALL 1,995,887

HAND TOOL Filed June 2, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet s 3mm (Zzzerzce )Z/Zivdl Patented Mar. 26, 1935 STATES FTENT ()FFECE I 12 Claims.

My invention relates to hand tools. It has to do particularly with a device for making various types of cuts in relatively soft materials, such as fiber composition insulation or wall board,

cardboard, soft wood, linoleum, and rubber floor coverings. With the use or" my improved cutting tool, materials of the type mentioned may be sliced or cut into desired size, the edges may be bevelled, and the surface relieved or grooved to effect an infinite variety of ornamental designs and shapes for decorative purposes.

A better understanding of the invention will be had upon reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a perspective view 15 of the assembled knife holder viewed on its side to show the bottom or work engaging surface. Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view showing two separated parts, which together comprise one-half of the tool body. Figures 3 and i are sectional views taken on lines 33 and 44, respectively, of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view, and Figure 6 an end elevation of the tool, having mounted thereon an adjustable guide and a knife blade, as arranged for a bevelling operation. Figures 7 and 8 are perspective and elevational views, respectively, of the tool carrying spacer plates on its underside, and a pair of knives for performing a relatively shallow angular grooving operation. Figures 9 and 10 30 illustrate the mounting of a knife when a substantially semi-circular groete is to be cut. Figure 11 is an end elevation showing a knife blade arranged for slicing or severing. Figure 12 shows in perspective, an attachment of an adjustably spaced guide. Figure 13 is another end elevation and illustrates an arrangement of knives for deep grooving. Figure 14 illustrates in perspective, an attachment which permits the formation of circular cuts, and Figure 15 is an end view of the tool with the knife blades set for a still diiierent type of groove. Figure 16 is a detail perspective view of a support for the free edge of the blade.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the knife holder is preferably in the form of a substantially rectangular block comprising in the main, apair of longitudinally split complementary sections 1 and 2, having their mating faces extending in the general direction of tool movement and in a plane normal to the underside or work engaging surface of the block. The outer side of each blocksection is preferably provided near its upper end with a recessed or indented portion 3 to facilitate the grasping of the tool in the operators hand, as is more particularly illustrated in Figure 12.

Adjacent opposite ends of the holder, the section 1 is provided with a tapped opening 4 to receive a clamping screw or stud 5, which passes through a counterbored opening 6, provided in the body section 2 alined with the threaded openings 4, such screws serving to adjustably hold the sections together. Intermediate the screw receiving openings 6 each block section is pro- 10 vided on its mating face with a flat knife clamping surface as seen in Figure 2. Similar fiat clamping surfaces extending longitudinally of the tool are formed along both sides of the split block near its bottom and present a pair of op- 15 positely inclined or divergently disposed faces, which cooperate with flat clamping faces 7 of a pair of triangular sectioned knife holding blocks or clamping elements 8 and 9, respectively. Each triangular block is secured in place by a pair 20 of longitudinally spaced screw studs 10, threadedly engaged with suitable openings in bosses 11, formed as a part of the main block sections, the screw heads being seated within counterbored openings 12 in the triangular blocks. To facilitate access to the assembly stud .5 Without removal of either triangular block, the block .9 may be provided with an enlarged opening 13 alined with the opening 6, as shown more particularly in Figure 3.

In the interest of light weight, it is proposed to cast the block sections from aluminum or other suitable material, and to further reduce weight and cost, the main block castings may comprise thin walled shells, which when assembled will provide a hollow interior.

With the tool thus described, vided three distinct pairs of knife clamping surfaces. In other words, knife blades may be removably secured between any one or all or any various combination of the mating surfaces on the complementary main blocks 1 and 2, the triangular block 8 of the main block 1, and the triangular block 9 and the main block '2. Such knives may, for convenience, consist of thin wafers, and it may be said, incidentally, that certain safety razor blades, now on the market, serve the purpose remarkably well. These knifeblades'being mounted directly in the block, which in turn is held directly in the operators hand, it will be subjected to the direct thrust or pressure exerted by the hand as the tool is moved over the work surface.

When a. single blade is inserted between the main block sections 1 and 2, as is illustrated in there are pro- Figure 11, the knife will sever the work in a plane normal or perpendicular to the work surface. When this or any of the other operations of which the cutting tool is capable is performed, a suitable straight edge may, if desired, be employed for engagement with a lateral face of the tool to guide the same. If in addition to the use of the knife blade illustrated in Figure 11 a blade or blades, is or are, also clamped by the triangular blocks, the tool, besides severing the work, will cut or bevel an edge or edges at the same time that the slicing operation takes place. It may be said here, that when more than one blade is used at the same time the blades should be arranged in longitudinally spaced relation so as not to interfere with one another.

When an edge of the work is to be bevelled, a single knife blade may be clamped between the inclined surfaces of one of the triangular blocks and the main block section, as is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. For conveniently guiding the tool, use may be made of a guide 14, provided with end enlargements l5 presenting a guiding surface along one side as at 16. The guide is also provided with a pair of open ended slots 17 for slidably receiving set screws 18, threadedly engaged within openings 19 in one or the other of the triangular sections 8 and 9, whereby the guide element may be adjusted to and from the knife edge for varying the size of the bevel. The guiding surface 16 is preferably reduced at an intermediate point and opposite the location of the knife blade to avoid the crowding of the severed portion as the knife passes through the material, thus avoiding jamming of the material between the knife and the guiding surface, which would affect cutting precision.

To avoid the tendency for the knife blade to flex when an edge is being bevelled it is proposed to provide as optional equipment an adjustable stop in the form of a slotted clip 14a to be mounted on the underside of the plate 14, as by means of a set screw, which clip has an angular leg adapted for contact with the tip of the blade projecting beyond the edge of the material operated upon. Instead of making the clip as a separate piece it can be formed as an integral boss on the plate 14.

Figures 8 and 13 each show a pair of divergently arranged knife blades for making a V-groove, the groove in the case of Figure 8 being of less depth than that of Figure 13, due to the use of spacer plates 20 mounted on the underside of the tool for engagement with the work. As shown in Figure '7, these spacer plates may be anchored by suitable attaching screws or studs 21 threaded within the before mentioned openings 19. Near opposite ends, these spacer plates are of reduced width, as at 22, so as not to obstruct access to the attachment studs 10. It will be noted, in addition, that Figure '1 illustrates the longitudinal spacing of the knife blades as suggested heretofore.

For making a semi-circular groove in the work surface, and also a parti-circular bevelled edge, it is proposed to provide a special blade having a reversely bent or curved intermediate portion with opposite ends extending at an angle to each other substantially corresponding to the angular relation existing between the divergent clamping surfaces of the blocks 1 and 2 so that these ends may be clamped in place with the semi-circular intermediate portion extending below the base of the tool for cutting engagement with the work.

A special blade of this character is indicated at 23 in Figures 9 and 10.

The guide element 14, heretofore described, may also be employed when a surface cut is to be made at a given distance from the edge of the work, by mounting the guide on the tool through a suitable spacer device. An arrangement for this purpose is illustrated in Figure 12, which shows a pair of rods 24 threaded at one end in tapped openings 25 in the block and extending slidably through openings 26 in the guide 14. For holding the guide in the given position of adjustment, set screws 27 may be extended through tapped openings 28 into engagement with the rods 24. For convenience, the rods 24 may be made in detachable sections having suitable coupling joints, as for example, a sleeve 29 threaded to each section. It will be obvious, of course, that any required number of rod sections may be utilized, depending upon the spacing required.

In order that the tool may be used for making circular cuts, I propose the use of a radius arm 30, shown in Figure 14, for detachable engagement with the knife holder. This radius arm may consist of an ordinary wooden stick having a number of regularly spaced openings 31, through any one of which a nail or other pivot pin may be passed for swingably anchoring the radius arm to the work. Projecting laterally at eaci side of the arm 30 are a pair of projections or lugs 32 for detachable pivotal connection with a pair of angle brackets 33, the base legs of which may be adjustably secured by set screws 34 passing through elongated openings 35 therein, and into threaded engagement with holes 36 of the tool block. In order that a quick detachment of the tool from the. radius arm may be effected, the angle brackets 33 are each provided with an open ended slot 3'7 inclined outwardly and adapted to receive the pivot lugs 32. Due to this inclined arrangement of the slots, and because the end of the radius arm 30 contacts with the tool, accidental disengagement of the parts is prevented. To effect a separation, the tool must be swung clear of the adjacent end of the arm 30 about the lugs 32 in order to clear the slots of the lugs. To mount the tool, a reverse procedure is followed. When a circular groove is to be made, the radius arm is first mounted on its pivot pin and then the angle brackets 33 engaged with the pivot lugs 32 and simultaneously with the application of downward pressure on the tool, to move it into engagement with the work, the tool is swung by the hand about the center pivot pin to initiate the cut as the knife contacts with and digs into the surface. For best results, it is desirable that the knife blade be mounted as near as possible to the center line of the bar 30 so that it will not be out of tangential relation with the swing and receive undue stress.

While a semi-V-groove is illustrated being out in Figure 14, it will be understood that any of the cuts previously described may be made when the circling attachments are employed. To better illustrate the formation of a semi-V-groove, Figure 15 of the drawings has been incorporated, and it shows one knife blade clamped between the main blocks and a second blade between one of the triangular blocks and the main block section.

While the above description has referred to the use of two or more blades at the same time, it may be found advisable in the case of relatively hard material to use each blade separately. It

desirable to cut the increase the depth may also be at first and material lightly of the cut on a knife holding surfaces, extending in divergent relation to each other from the work engaging surface one of which surfaces lies in for sliding to be operated upon, including a hand engaging member having a knife engaging surface lying in the plane of tool movement and inclined to the work engaging surface, a triangular sectioned block having a knife clamping surface cooperating with the surface of said member, and means to clamp said block to the surfaces embracing a knife blade.

3. A cutting tool of the character described, including a longitudinally divisible sectional block adapted to be held in the hand for sliding engagement with the work in a direction longitudinally thereof, said block comprising a pair of main sections split in a plane normal to the work engaging surface to clamp a knife therebetween, and provided with divergently disposed sides, and a pair of secondary sections, one for each of said inclined sides to clamp a knife thereto.

4. A hand tool for movement over the Work surface, including a longitudinally divisible sectional block, means to clamp block sections together to hold a pair of knife blades in divergent relation, and a spacer plate adapted to be removably mounted on the work engaging surface of the block to change the depth of the knife blade cut.

5. A hand tool for movement over the work surface, including a longitudinally divisible sectional block, means to clamp block sections together on lines inclined and vertically related respectively to the work engaging surface and knives inserted on said lines between the block sections.

6. A hand tool for movement gether on a line inclined to the work engaging surface to clamp a knife therebetween, a gage bar having a pair of longitudinally spaced elongated slots extending at right angles to its guiding surface, and set threaded openings in the underside of one of said engagement with the work surface, including a knife holding block adapted to be held in the hand, a swinging radius arm having lugs projecting from opposite sides connection and into engagement with the work.

10. A hand tool for sliding engagement with the surface of the work, including a hand engaging member, a cutting blade supported thereby in a plane extending longitudinally of the member and inclined to the work engaging surface the edge of the work and being of reduced depth adjacent said knife to relieve pressure on material as the knife passes therethrough.

11. A hand tool for beveling edges, including a block adapted to be held in the hand and moved over the surface of the Work with portions thereof projecting on opposite sides of the edge to be beveled, a knife blade projecting diagonally from the underside of the block away from the work engaging portion and an abutment projecting downwardly from the other of said block portions for engaging the free end of the blade.

12. A hand tool for movement over the work to make a surface cut, including a pair of divergently related knife holdingsurfacesextending in the general direction of tool movement, a subwafer thin knife blade lying work without displacing the same, with opposite end portions projectiong from said loop in diver- CLARENCE M. KIMBALL. 

